Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel responds to a question during a news conference Aug. 21 at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. / Shawn Thew, European Pressphoto Agency

by Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY

by Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - Defeating Islamic State militants will require elimination of their havens in Syria, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told USA TODAY in a recent interview.

Rear Adm. John Kirby declined to comment Friday on whether the Pentagon was planning strikes in Syria.

"We don't telegraph our punches," Kirby said at a briefing.

On Thursday, when asked if bombing in Syria was being considered, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters that "we're looking at all options."

In the recent interview, Dempsey said governments in the region, backed by U.S. intelligence, logistics and occasional air power, can tackle the threat posed by the Islamic State. He expressed satisfaction with the air campaign in Iraq, which continued Friday near a strategically important dam near Mosul. The attacks destroyed two armed trucks and a machine gun emplacement. Since Aug. 8, there have been 93 airstrikes in Iraq.

Islamic State forces vaulted several notches in notoriety this week by releasing a video showing the beheading of U.S. journalist James Foley. The Pentagon and White House also announced that U.S. special operations forces failed in an attempt earlier this summer to free Foley and other hostages held by the terrorists in Syria. The hostages had been moved to another location; U.S. commandos killed several Islamic State fighters during the raid.

Dempsey noted that destroying Islamic State weapons and combat vehicles in Iraq won't be enough to dismantle the organization, which Hagel has called as sophisticated and well-funded as any terrorist organization the Pentagon has seen.

"We still haven't addressed the issue of ISIS in Syria," Dempsey said, using another abbreviation for the terror group. "That's an important part of this, and that has yet to be addressed.

"That's a piece of intellectual and diplomatic lifting that has to occur in order to truly ensure that we're addressing the ISIS threat both in Iraq and in Syria. Because you can't let them have free reign in one place, or they'll just simply continue to regroup."

The primary role for U.S. forces will be to support governments in the region doing the fighting against the Islamic State. He added, though, that U.S. military might will be needed to fill "gaps," a allusion to the bombing in Iraq.

"We can help others apply force," he said.

Asked if he anticipated deeper involvement from U.S. troops in the Middle East, Dempsey said: "Here's what the American people can count on from the military: We're not looking to take ownership of the numerous and intense security challenges and challenges of governance that exist in the Middle East. We're not looking to take ownership.

"What we are looking to do is find a way, working through partners - both regional partners and European partners - to address the threats that are evolving in a way that matches the task we've been assigned by our elected officials with the military resources to accomplish it."

The military's mission has been limited in Iraq, and limited in a way that Dempsey said was appropriate. It has been tasked with humanitarian aid, protecting U.S. personnel and vital infrastructure.

"You hear the term 'mission creep' beginning to make its way around the airwaves. What we do is mission match," Dempsey said. "What the American people should understand is that role is to match the resources to the mission we're given. Right now, the mission is limited, but I think appropriately so."